Automatic wagon-brake.



, PATENTED MAY l2, 1903.

W. H. BEARD. AUTOMATIC WAGON BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 12, 1902.

z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, NO MODEL.

' MEM/7,19%@

Tf1: NoRRls PETERS co. PHoYo-L|THO.. wAsHiNGTcN. oA 'd PATBNTED MAY'lz,1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.-

' W. H, BEARD.

lMTo1s/.mf-r1o WAGGN BRAKE.

APPLICATION FIIID DEO. 12, 1902.

No MODEL.V

///eafd, 15797@- Wagggs@ l UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. BEARD,

Patented May 12d, 1903.

or GARDE`N,'-of1r11o.

AUTOMATIC WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 727,737', dated May 12,1903.

Application filed DecemberrlZ, 190.2. Serial No. 134,955. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BEARD, acitizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Garden, in the county of Athens and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Automatic Wagon-Brake, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle-brakes of the class known asautomatic-operating? brakes, and has for its object to improve theconstruction of brakes of this class and to provide a simple,inexpensive, and efficient device adapted to relieve the wheels of thevehicle when the draft-animals are started forward and to automaticallylock the wheels when the draft is withdrawn.

The invention consists in certain novel fea. tures of construction, ashereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, in which correspondingparts are desig-y nated by like reference characters in all theyfigures, Figure 1 is a plan view of the runninggear of a vehicle withthe improvementsapplied. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalelevation.Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line III III of Fig. 1 lookingtoward the rear of the vehicle. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of thebrake-beam and its attachments.

' The improved device may be applied to any. ordinary lumber or farmwagon, and for the, purpose of illustration a wagon of this charf actoris em ployedto illustrate Ithe application of the device, 10representing the forward axle, 11 the rear axle, 12 the forward wheels,13 the rear wheels, 14 the forward hounds, 15 the rear hounds, 16 thereach or connectingbar, and 17 the tongue, connected in theordidownwardly, as at 23 24, and passed through thebrake-beam 1 8 andsecured in place by A nuts or other suitable fastenings and forming Lthe suspension means for the brake-beam. The `downwardly-turned ends 2324 of the 'rocker-arm 2l engagethe ends of the bar 20, as shown, sothatthe bar supports the rockerarm its full length and prevents anytendency `of the latter to sag under strains. arrangement it will beobvious that the brake- By this beam is free to swing toward and awayfrom the wheels 13 center. y Y

4 Y Pivotally supported upon the members 23 ,211 below the brake-beamare adj usting-levers :25 26, the levers extending outwardly away fromtheir pivotal points and connected, respectively, to therear axle bysprings 27 28 and extending inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4,] `and adaptedto be adjust-ably engaged by toothed bars 29 30, vby which means thetenrocker-arm 21, supported rotativelyuponthe upon therocker-arm 21 as asion of thesprings may Vhe adjusted by setting the levers inl engagementwith the :toothed racks. By this arrangement'the tension of the springsmaybe very quickly and readily adjusted and increased or decreased `asrequired. By this arrangement it will be obvious that thesprings 27 28exert a constant pulling force upon the brake-beam to with the wheels13, and thus lock the ruuning-gear fast to the rear` wheels with a forceequal to the resiliency of the springs.

A mechanism is attached to the runninggear between the doubletree. 31'and the brake-beam 18, whereby when the draft is maintain thebrake-shoes 19 in engagement applied upon the doubletree the brake-beam18 will be moved forwardly and release the wheels 13, and this mechanismis constructed as follows: Pivotally connected to the brakebeam are twolever-arms 32 33, the pivotal^ points being indicated, respectively, at34,35,

near one end of the levers, thus forming the lever-arms into short andlong ends.

short ends ofthe lever-arms 32 33 will be connectedrespectively, to therear runninggear, preferably to the rear hounds 15, by

lthe pivotal points being located, preferably, f

The

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connecting-bars 36 37 and the longer ends of the lever-arms connected toa centrally-disposed fplate 38 by connecting-rods 39 40, as shown. Theplate 38 is provided with a longitudinal slot 4l, and thereby securedslidably in position upon the reach 16 by a stud 42, the stud connectedrigidly to the reach, as indicated in Fig. 2, by bolts 43 or by othersuitable means. The plate 38 is connected by a rod 44 to the doubletree31, as shown, and the doubletree slidably disposed upon the tongue, asby a longitudinal slot 45 in a keeper 46 and a similar longitudinal slot47 in the tongue 17, the pivot-bolt 48 of the doubletree passing throughthe two slots and likewise through the doubletree, as indicated in Figs.l and 2. By this arrangement it will be obvious that when' the draft isapplied upon the doubletree the latter will be drawn forward andthroughits connection with the plate 38 by the connecting-rod 44 willcorrespondingly move the latter forwardly, and` thus actuate thelever-arms 32 33 through the rods 39 40, and thus draw the brake-beamand the shoes 19 free from the wheels 13. By this means the shoes 19will be maintained out of engagement with the wheels 13 so long as thedraft is applied; but the moment the draft is withdrawn or the teamattempts to back the springs 27 28 will be released and ilnmediatelydraw the shoes into rigid engagement with the rear wheels and firmlylock the vehicle in position. y

Attached to the keeper' 46 is a bell-crank lever 49, adapted when throwninto the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 to engage the rearsideofv the pivot-bolt 48 and lock the doubletree into its forward position,and thus form a stop means by which the brakebeam and its shoes 19 maybe maintained out of action or in an inoperative position. Thus whenrunning over level roads or in other localities where the automaticbrake mechanism is not required the device may be readily locked in aninoperative position by simply throwing the stop-lever into action.

The stop-lever 49 may be operated in any desired manner, but preferablyby a small cord or chain (indicated at 50) leading to some point on thevehicle convenient to the hand of the driver. This makes a very simple,easily-applied, and eifective apparatus for automatically locking therear wheels of the vehicle when the draft is removed and will be foundvery useful when running down steep grades or when it is desired to lockthe running-gear when the team stops.

The device is positive and reliable in operation and is adapted to bereadily applied to any ordinary running-gear.

When the draft-animals stop or when the traces slacken, the brake isautomatically applied, and in descending hills or othel` inclines thebrake will be automatically applied as the vehicle moves forward towardthe draftanimals sufficiently to slacken the traces.

The means by which the tension of the springs is regulated is animportant feature of the invention and `adds materially to theefficiency and operativeness of the device, as by this means the devicemay readily be adapted to the vehicle to which it is applied or to theload borne thereby and likewise to the grades over which it travels.

The device will be found very useful in moving up grades, as in event ofthe horses slackening the draft when going up a grade the rear wheelswill be immediately firmly locked automatically and all danger of thevehicle running backwardly down the grade obviated. By this means nonecessity exists for blocking the wheels of a vehicle to prevent themfrom running backwardly down a grade, as the wheels will beautomatically locked, as above noted, the moment thedraft is slackened.

Changes in the form, proportions, `and fminor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from'the principle of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the inventiomwhat is claimed is- 1. In a device ofthe character described, the vehicle running-gear, a brake-beam halvingshoes engaging the wheels of the vehicle and movably supported from saidrunninggear, one or more levers intermediatelypivoted upon saidbrake-beam, springs connecting one end of said lever or levers to therunning-gear, means for adjusting the opposite end of said lever orleversto regulatethe tension of said springs, and connecting meansbetween said brake-beam andthe draft mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a device of the character described, the vehicle running-gear, arocker-arm movably supported upon said running-geana brake-beam havingshoes engaging the wheels Vof the vehicle and supported from saidrockerarm, one or more levers intermediately pivoted upon saidbrake-beam, springs connecting one `end of said lever or levers to therunninggear, means for adjusting the oppositeend of said lever or leversto regulate the tension of said springs, and connecting means betweensaid-br`ake-beam and the draft mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, the Vehicle running-gear, arocker-arm hav- :ing depending ends and movably supported upon saidrunning-gear, a brake-beam having shoes engaging the wheels of thevehicle and supported upon said depending ends, one or more leversintermediately pivoted upon said brake-beam, springs connecting one endof said lever or levers to the running-gear, means for adjusting theopposite end ofsaid `lever or levers to regulate the tension of saidsprings, and connecting means between said brake-beam and thedraftmechanism, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, the vehicle running-gear, arocker-arm hav- ICO IIO

ing depending ends and movably supported from said running-gear, abrake-beam having shoes engaging the wheels of the vehicle and supportedupon saidrdepending ends, one or more levers pivotally connectedtosaid'de-I pending ends adjacent to said beam, springs connecting saidlevers fromone end to the running-gear, locking-plates'having spacednotches and adapted to engage the oppositeends of said levers, andconnecting means between said brake-beam and the' draft mechanism,substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, the -vehicle running-gear, abrake-beam hav` ing shoes engaging the wheels of the vehicle andmovabl'y disposed upon the running-gear,

springs disposed to Iyieldably maintain said'. brake-shoes in engagementwith: the wheels, operating-levers pivotally connected to saidlbeam-near one end,'connectingbars between the shorter ends of saidlevers andthe running-gear, and connecting means between the longer endsof said levers and the `draft mechanism, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the Vcharacter described,

the vehicle running-gear, a brake-beam hav` ing shoes engaging thewheels of the vehicle and movably disposed upon the running-gear,

springs disposed to yieldably maintain said brake-shoes in engagementwith the wheels, operating-levers each pivotally connected near oneend'to said-ibeamfconnecting-bars between the shorter ends of saidleversand the running-gear,v a link slidably disposed upon the running-gear,connecting-barsV between'said linkv and the longer ends of said near oneend to said beam, a stud 'extending' from the running-gear, alink havinga lon# gitudinal slot and `movably engaging 'said' stud, connecting-barsbetween'said link and the longer ends of said operating-levers, andconnecting means between saidlink and the draft mechanism, substantiallyas described.

8. In adevice'of`thecharacterdescribed, the vehicle running-geamabrakebeam mov# ably connected to saidrunning-gear andlhav ing shoesengaging thewheels of the vehicle,"

springs disposed to vyieldably maintain said shoes in engagementwith-said wheels, the ve-l hicle-tongue having a longitudinal aperture,a keeper having a longitudinal aperture registering with theaperture insaid ton"gue,"th 4 doubletree, a pivot-pin centrally disposedlin saiddoubletree 'and movably engaging said registering apertures, connectingmeansV bestop thereto andl lock the draft lmechan'ism in itsforward-position, substantiallyasdescribed. i

v tween said beam and doubletree, a movablydisposed stop-'lever adaptedto be turnediinto the path of s aid doubletree-pivot to formaf 9. In adevice of -t-he character described,

the vehicle runn'inggear, a brake-beam mov` ably supportedupon said`running-gear and4 having shoes engaging the wheels of the vehicle,springs disposednto yieldably maintain said shoes in engagement withsaid wheels,

operating-levers each pivotally-connected.v

near one end to said beam, connecting-bars lbetween the shorter ends-ofsaidlevers and the running-gear, a link slidably'disposed upon therunning-gear, connecting-rods befA tween said link and the 'longer armsof said operating-levers, the doubletree "slidably dis posed relativetothe tongue of 1the vehicle,`

and a connecting-rod between the'doubletree and link, substantially asdescribed.

10. In a device ofthe character described, l

the vehicle running-gear, a supporting-bar transversely disposed uponsaid running# and movably disposed upon said'-`|oar,l clips 9o gear, arocker-arm havin'gdependingendsconnecting said rocker-arm to said'barand extended'to form the connecting means be` tween the bar andrunning-gear, a' brake# beam having shoes'engaging the wheels of thevehicle and supported'from the depending ends of said'rocker-arm,springs disposed to" maintain said 'brake-shoes yieldablyin en#rgagement with the Ivehicle-wheels, and 'con" necting means between thebrake-beam and the draft mechanism, substantially as described. Y' y Intestimony that I claim theforegoing vas my own I have`hereto affixed mysignature in the presenceof two witnesses.

Witnesses:

" A. MURPHY,

W. MURPHY.

WILLIAM-HJBEARD.-

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